Ten Things I Learned in NaNoWriMo 2018

In honour of the letteredness of the event, I have resorted to letters in lieu of numbers. Here, therefore, are J things I learned during [Inter]National Novel Writing Month.

A. I can actually do it – even when I’m tired. Even when I’d rather curl up in bed with a book and/or fall asleep. It helps to set a smaller goal – say, 500 words – and promise myself I can stop after that. It gets the momentum going.

B. If I find myself extremely reluctant – practically unable to get to work, it’s a sign there’s something unresolved that needs fixing in the next scene. Much better to stop trying to write and instead focus on finding a fix.

C. Sometimes it’s worth losing a day to get your story straight.

D. Wikipedia is invaluable for basic research on the fact-checking level.

E. Writing in a genre you’re intimately familiar with is much easier than writing in a genre you’re fairly familiar with.

F. The habit of writing can’t depend on something as violently fluctuating as how good you think the writing is.

G. Graphs showing progress are fun. Instead of having to wait till the end to cross the line, you can cross that line every day of the week, if you so please.

H. Having a group of people you can interact with as you go through the ups and downs is great. I frequently popped in to the Ravelry NaNoWriMo forum.

I. I don’t like the sound of my recorded voice. Also, I talk too fast, and not always clearly. (OK, this one is less about NaNoing and more about NaNo documentarying, but the point stands.)

J. Crocheting granny squares is seriously addictive, and a great way to unwind. Once I got started I think I averaged about one 20cm (8in) square every two or three days. Now I must resist the urge to Crochet All The Things.